Sylva Stoel, a 17-year-old former employee of JCPenny, was sent home from work because her shorts were deemed, "too revealing," according to Today. The incident occurred in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In an interview about the incident, she said, "I was at work for about 10 minutes before [my manager] approached me. He asked if anyone talked to me about dress code at orientation," according to Today. After being asked to change, she quit immediately.
The shorts she was wearing, a pair of red linen shorts that fell to her mid-thigh, were from JCPenney's own career style section, according to E! News.
Stoel had never heard her manager mention not being able to wear shorts, though he had said that denim, T-shirts, and spaghetti straps were not appropriate. Skirts couldn't be "too short." And while she was asked to change immediately, she had seen other co-workers working in denim and men's undershirts without being sent home, according to the Huffington Post.
Following the incident, Stoel took to twitter to share her story.
"Rules are rules" but when the rule is unfair we must question WHY it's a rule, WHO made the rule, and then BREAK THAT RULE.
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
"Rules are rules" but when the rule is unfair we must question WHY it's a rule, WHO made the rule, and then BREAK THAT RULE.
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
Dress codes benefit patriarchy bc they shame women for "dressing provocatively" and absolve men from all blame. Break the dress code.
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
Today we learned: don't fuck with a feminist
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
Good dress code rules: no gang attire, no explicit imagery, no pajamas... Bad dress code rules: no female shoulders, legs, bra straps...
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
If you don't raise a little Hell, people won't pay attention to your cause. You don't get society to change by being sweet and docile.
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
Misogyny in the workplace is far more offensive than my flipping the camera off.
— Sylva (@queenfeminist) July 28, 2015
Her story has started a conversation that is gaining widespread attention, and for that she is glad.
"It's always been an issue, but the Internet is making women feel like they can express their opinion. We have a huge community of feminists who will share it and give it validation. What we're doing isn't wrong, it's society that is wrong," Stoel said, according to E! News.
